Quite A Mad Story Indeed Rewritten
by xshaiyaxstar
Summary: Alice Is back in Wonderland, though she doesn't remember it. Alice/Hatter pairing. Rating is subject to change in later chapters. Characters belong to their respective people and/or companies. (Brianna Garcia and Rain included along with Lewis Carroll and the Disney corporation)


The young woman pushes a strand of hair behind her ear, annoyed that she couldn't find a ribbon to tie it up with, and pulls her keys out from her now locked door. She hadn't planned on taking a walk, she had so much work to do, but she knew a break would be wonderful and she welcomed it gladly. She'd been doing paperwork and filing bills and letters for her boss for the past three hours, it was, in her own opinions, the most boring job she had ever had and she hated that it took up her Saturdays. A whole day of reading wasted on paperwork! She shook her head to rid herself of the things she would do to her boss if she could. Perhaps feed him to sharks. She sighed.

The sound of her heels on the stone path towards her gate echoed around the corner, she always loved the sound. She used to pretend she was a horse when she was younger, of course until her mother caught her. She never understood her mother's need to always be mature and to never act creatively. It was like her mother was never a child. She shrugged and let her mind wander out into the fields. Her favorite part of this house was the seclusion. She loved to walk into the fields and woods; occasionally she would bring her art easel or sketchbook and draw the landscapes and occasionally she would indulge in drawing a land of fantasy, just for herself though.

As her mind wandered she began to remember a funny dream she'd had when she was quite young. She chuckled as the image of a rabbit with a pocket watch flooded her mind. And let out a full laugh when she remembered the dream about a funny man with a large hat and his teacup and pot collection, "Ah… to go back to the days where life was simple and dreams felt so real." Her feet had taken her over to the large old oak tree that she would sit at as a child, "I remember sitting there... I wonder if I could climb it again..." She said aloud to herself, looking at the largest of branches on the tree.

"What would you do if you could?" A voice from behind her reached her ears. And she whirled around, but saw no one. Thinking it was only her imagination she responded,

"If I could climb the tree again? Well I suppose then... I would have climbed it." She chuckled to herself. "But perhaps you meant if I could go back to simpler times ..." She paused a moment, gathering her thoughts, but the voice did not respond yet, "I suppose, granting of course, that it were possible, then I think I would have made different choices. I would have liked to have had more fun." Her voice trailed off softly and sadly.

"Very astute my dear. Everyone should have a little fun in their life. But, you know, you could always have fun now. Living in the past isn't very becoming of a young woman, such as yourself." She frowned at the voice, _It's almost as if I'm talking to a real person._

"Yes ... er... well. I have a job now. Having fun isn't a very high priority in the real world." She sighed, "You know... I wonder why I haven't imagined you before. Your voice is ... familiar. Perhaps when I was little I did. I had a very good imagination when I was young. But then you'd know all about that." She chuckled again, "I once imagined I was in a different world, where white rabbits wore coats and hares had tea parties. And there was this awful Queen who had a queer love for chopping people's heads off."

"Imagined? Do you think you were the first child to imagine Wonderland? My dear I take back what I said about you being astute. If one can forget all about her adventures then she mustn't be very smart then." The voice sounded almost unhappy, "But... we must all grow up someday. I just wish it didn't happen so quickly. You were definitely my favorite. Well... that's that, if you won't have any fun then I can see I am wasting my time. Unless you change your mind?" She stiffened at the words and turned around so quickly she tripped over one of the trees roots and found herself on her bottom, to her amazement she forgot her momentary pain because right in front of her was a large brown hare. His pink nose in line with her own. He twitched his whiskers and moved his ears, he almost looked like he was laughing at her. She then noticed his clothes, he was wearing a black vest over a grey shirt, a watch dangling in the pocket, a black umbrella under one arm and a monocle fit snugly on his right eye.

"I daresay, you've not lost your talent for falling, Alice." She blinked a few times as the hare spoke to her. _That's it... I've definitely gone mad now. Must have hit my head when I fell! _She thought to herself and closed her eyes and opened them a few times, but still the hare remained, his eyes narrowing in irritation now, "I am not some figment Alice, dear! I am as real as you are. I have come to you to give you a second chance."

"A second chance... at what?" She mumbled stupidly.

"AT LIFE!" The hare shouted sternly and she jumped slightly, "At fun! A new life! Away from all this boring nonsense. We at wonderland have noticed you are never happy anymore and we've come to correct it." He rapped her on the head sharply with his black umbrella as if trying to get his words through her skull. She opened her mouth to retort, then closed it. She didn't know what to say to that. _Let's think rationally, Alice. I must have hit my head, it's the only logical explanation. _She hesitated, _on the other hand... _She tucked her feet beneath her and sat up properly, or as properly as one can while in the dirt.

"Let's just say that I believe you. How would you give me a second chance? You're a rather... er... small animal." She stopped talking lamely and folded her hands in her lap, fidgeted her fingers and didn't look at the hare.

"Oh Alice." He chuckled and took her hand in his paw, "You really have forgotten us." He looked at her sadly, "They've sure done a number on you, that mother and father of yours." He said this with a hint of malice and hate. She moved her hand away from him,

"My mother and father were wonderful to me." She told him defiantly. He only chuckled again and twitched his ears forward.

"I meant no disrespect. Once a child hits a certain stage, adults take over and give them strict rules. And I have never heard of a mother more strict than yours." She was about to retort but she stopped and thought about all the things her mother told her to do and to not do.

"My mother knew what was best for me." Even as she said it she hated it.

"Was it best for you?" He asked simply. She did not reply, only stared at him as he stared back in a knowing way. She suddenly remembered her manners and stood awkwardly.

"Won't you come in and have a cup of tea and cookies?" Her mother would have pitched a fit if she knew that her daughter had just invited an animal to the table, she put it out of her mind. The hare blinked in amusement and straightened his coat.

"A cup of tea, now that sounds lovely." With that they walked (or rather she walked and he hopped) back down to her house.

_Well if I really am dreaming at least I'll have a funny tale to tell. A hare over for tea... _Alice turned her lips up into a smile and opened her gate door. She and the hare went straight to her door and she let him inside. "Any specific kind of tea you'd like?" She asked politely.

"I'm not picky about tea, my dear." He followed her into the kitchen where she placed a few cushions on a chair so he could easily see over the table. He leapt up onto them gracefully and sat comfortably with his paws folded together as he watched her go to the kettle.

She poured water into her tea kettle and placed it on the stove, she then went to the window where a pan with tea leaves were laying out to dry, "I have a new flavor I've been making, it's been drying all morning. Would you care to be my guinea pi..." Her face brightened, "Oh... I didn't mean that you are... It's a saying and well..." He laughed which made her face burn brighter. "I'm sorry."

"Don't be." He chuckled again, still amused, "Making? You make your own tea?" He was intrigued by this. He had always tried making tea but he never got the flavors right, unlike one of his closest friends back home. Alice nodded her head,

"It's easier than going into town all the time. I drink a lot of tea you see and all the flavors the tea shop in town gets are not very good, they're all the same boring flavors. It's tiresome drinking the same thing all the time. And it makes great gifts." She stopped as she realized she was rambling, but the hare didn't seem to mind.

"I should like to try some of this new batch." He smiled an encouraging smile as he said this. Alice took out two tea cups and saucers and put three leaves each in the cups and poured water over them.

"It needs to sit for five minutes before it is ready to drink." Remembering that she had promised cookies she placed a platter of yesterdays lemon cookies near the hare, embarrassed that she had not made any today. She sat down, feeling awkward. The hare nibbled on a lemon cookie and moaned in delight.

"My, my you are full of surprises, Alice." He took another cookie, as she rose from her seat to get the tea, she placed one in front of him and sat back down with her own cup.

"I've been wanting to ask you. You know my name, but I have yet to learn yours." She took a small sip of tea, _Hmm... should have added a bit more honey._

"To my friends I am known simply as Ears, for obvious reasons." His ears twitched at the top, as if showing off their length.

"Are we friends?" She asked curiously. She didn't have many friends, in fact the more she thought about it the less she liked being here. _An adventure does sound fun._ She began to think less of this encounter being a figment of her imagination and instead thought of the possibilities this opportunity might hold for her.

"Old friends, if you could only remember. Perhaps with a little more time you will." He reaches for his cup of tea and inhales deeply before taking a sip. The flavor touches his tongue and wafts over his taste buds heavenly. He quickly takes another much larger sip and closes his eyes in bliss. "My dear Alice this tea is heavenly! You have quite the gift, perhaps even better than Reginald's own tea making skills." He couldn't wait for his friend to try her tea, he had a funny feeling she would be accompanying him to Wonderland very soon. He smiled, "Simply delicious!" He complimented, she blushed.

"It's nothing... Who's Reginald?" Her curiosity peaked and the questions began. Ears told her all about his home and the place he lived in. _Right out of a storybook_, she thought as he continued telling her about the views. She began to fall in love with his world.

"Just wait until you see Twitch again. He'll be so delighted his whiskers won't stop twitching for days!" Ears watched her carefully, trying to find any remembrance in her eyes, he saw none so far but he wasn't losing hope, "And Reginald will probably shower you with hats." He chuckles lightly, but it sounded desperate to his ears.

"Hat... " She murmured. And Ears relaxed slightly, _So it is Reginald she remembers first._ He smiles, _He'll be pleased to know that._

"Only, of course, if you decide to join me?" He knew time was running short on him, he could not stay for too much longer. Alice sighed and looked out her window into the garden, the sun had started to set.

"I don't know, Ears... If I had more time to think, perhaps a day or two." Ears shook his head at her words,

"Sorry Alice, it doesn't work that way. This is your one chance. You can either come back with me to Wonderland, or stay in your world. I can only give you an hour more to decide, then I must leave." He rises from his seat, "I will be at the tree. If you decide to come, please don't be late. I am already late enough as it is." Alice stayed seated as Ears hops down and towards the door, he stops and turns back towards her, "No matter what you decide, it really was great to see you again Alice." With that he turns and goes straight out the door and back outside.

_What a peculiar day I've had. _Alice sighed to herself and stares back out the window for a few moments then she moves from her seat to wash the dishes, washing dishes had always relaxed her. Just as she was putting the last tea cup on the drying rack her phone rang. She hurried to get it, "Hello?" She asked,

"Alice darling!" It was her mother, "I do wish you would come home or call every once in a while. I don't see why you wanted to move out so soon."

"Hello mother." Alice groaned internally, she hated talking to her mother, it was always the same conversation.

"You're father and I've been talking, Alice, and we've decided it is time for you to come home and settle down." _What?_ Alice screamed inside her head,

"I'm sorry, but what did you say?" She tried to be polite but settling down did not sound promising an knowing her mother it normally wasn't good for her.

"You're already nearly twenty, your father and I have decided, and we think you're ready for this, we're all so thrilled."

"Mother, what are you and father so thrilled about?" Her heart started pounding and her throat dropped into her stomach at her mother's next words,

"We've chosen you a husband, isn't it wonderful darling?" Her mother didn't let her retort she went on, "Now the wedding will be all planned for next month, Your husband-to-be is quite handsome and will keep you well taken care of, very rich man. Sir Chuffrey is a delightful man. I will be calling you with more details later. I know you'll be so happy with him. Ta darling." Alice found herself listening the end call dial tone. She could hardly believe her ears. _I can't get married..._ she pictured Wonderland in her head and for a moment felt at peace, she had made her decision.

The receiver fell the ground as Alice ran out the door just in time to catch Ears as he was leaving.


End file.
